​​On the afternoon of 14 February 1945, a serious accident occurred in the port of Ostend, where the Canadian 29th Motor Torpedo Boat (MTB) Flotilla was moored.

​MTBs were small warships, 22 metres long, with powerful engines, equipped with torpedoes and machine guns. They were mainly deployed in the English Channel as boats that attacked German supply ships and escorted and protected Allied convoys against Bibbers (one-person submarines) and Schnellboote (a type of German motor torpedo boat used by the Kriegsmarine).

​Whilst the crews were preparing for yet another night patrol, the crew members were resting on board their ships in port. Suddenly, fuel floating on the water's surface ignited and, before the alarm could be raised, a huge fire spread across the nearby moored vessels. Boat after boat went up in flames, followed by violent explosions of fuel and ammunition. Surrounded by a sea of fire, the crew members were trapped with no escape.

​26 men from the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) lost their lives and five of the eight torpedo boats were lost. The Royal Navy lost 35 sailors and seven vessels in this terrible disaster.

​Today, a granite monument is located on the locks of the harbour in memory of the victims. The 2.4 metre high monument was made in Nova Scotia, Canada, and shows an image of an MTB and the names of the Canadians who lost their lives here. The monument was unveiled on 8 May 2003.